Raphael Holinshed

“ A great riot happened betwixt the seruants of the earle of Warwike, and the tenants of the abbat of Euesham, so that manie of the said abbats seruants were slaine and hurt. The fish-ponds and warrens belonging to the abbie were broken and spoiled, so that greater hurt would haue followed thereof, if the kings letters had not béene sent downe to the earle, commanding him to staie his men from such misdemeanours. All the nobles of the realme were caused to sweare, that after the kings decease they shuld admit and mainteine Richard prince of Wales for their king and souereigne lord. ”

“ The worthie prince like a couragious chiefteine, when he saw that he must néeds fight, required his people not to be abashed at the great number of their enimies, sith the victorie did not consist in the multitude of men, but where God would send it: and if it fortuned that the iournie might be theirs and his, they should be the most honored people of the world: and if they should die in that righteous quarrell, he had the king his father and also his brethren, in like case as they had fréends and kinsmen, that would séeke their reuenge. ”

“ At length, by the labour of certeine lords of Britaine, a truce was taken for a time, during the which, the countesse of Richmond came ouer into England, to commune with king Edward, touching the affaires of Britaine, who appointed sir Robert Dartois earle of Richmond, the earles of Salisburie, Penbroke, and Suffolke, the lords Stafford, Spenser, and Bourchier, with others, to go with hir ouer into Britaine, who made their prouision, so that they might take the sea, to come thither against the time that the truce betwixt the countesse and the lord Charles de Blois should be expired. ”

“ The dutchesse of Britaine with hir sonne and daughter, came on land in Deuonshire. Sir Péers de Véele, and his sonne sir Henrie Véele, and sir Iohn Raine knights, were drowned, togither with the ship in which they passed. The king escaping verie hardlie, landed at Weimouth, and on the fift day of March came to London to the quéene. In the quindene of Easter, he held a parlement at Westminster, in which he created his eldest sonne Edward prince of Wales. ”

“ Certeine Frenchmen and Almaines perforce opened the archers of the princes battell, and came to fight with the men of armes hand to hand. Then the second battell of the Englishmen came to succor the princes battell, and not before it was time, for they of that battell had as then inough to doo, in somuch that some which were about him, as the earle of Northampton, and others sent to the king, where he stood aloft on a windmill hill, requiring him to aduance forward, and come to their aid, they being as then sore laid to of their enimies. ”

“ Ye haue heard how the Prince of Wales could get no monie of the king of Spaine, for the wages of his men of warre, which he had reteined to serue him in the reducing the said king home into his countrie, wherefore the prince hauing béene at great charges in that iournie, was neither able to satisfie them, nor mainteine his owne estate, without some great aid of his subiects, and therefore he was counselled to raise a subsidie called a fuage, through all the countrie of Aquitaine, to run onelie for the space of fiue yeares. ”

“ In the Scotish histories it is recorded, that when those which were within the towne of Berwike, heard how that an armie of Englishmen came to the succours of the castell, they raced the walles and burnt the houses of the towne, and so departed with all the spoile which they had gotten there. ”

“ Thrée kings come into England about businesse with K. Edward.
This yeare a parlement was called by the king, which began the ninth of October, from the which none of the noble men could obteine licence to be absent. In this parlement all rich ornaments of gold and siluer vsed to be worne in kniues, girdels, ouches, rings, or otherwise, to the setting foorth of the bodie, were prohibited, except to such as might dispend ten pounds by yeare. Morouer that none should weare any rich clothes or furres, except they might dispend an hundred pounds by yeare. ”

“ The French king prouided a great number of ships to assemble togither at Harflew, and leuied a great power of men, minding to bestow them aboord in the same ships, that they might saile into England, and make warre against king Edward in his owne countrie. Chéefteine of this armie should haue béene his brother the duke of Burbon, but this iournie was broken, for the Frenchmen were eased of the paine to come to séeke the Englishmen at home in England, they comming ouer into France, and proffering them battell euen at their owne doores. ”

“ The death of this right famous, wise, and valiant knight, was bewailed as well of the Frenchmen as Englishmen. The French king himselfe, when he heard that he was slaine, greatlie lamented the mishap, affirming that now he being dead, there was not any left aliue able to agrée the kings and realmes of England and France: so much was he feared, estéemed, and beloued of all men. But alas what auailed all their mourning and lamenting against the necessitie of death, sith we know that
Est commune mori, mors nulli parcit honori. ”

“ The king of England had caused a strong castell to be made betwéene the towne of Calis and the sea, to close vp that passage, and had placed therein thrée score men of armes, and two hundred archers which kept the hauen in such sort that nothing could come in nor out. Also considering that his enimies could come neither to succour the towne, nor to annoie his host, except either by the downes alongst the sea side, or else aboue by the high waie, he caused all his nauie to drawe alongst by the coast of the downes, to stop vp that the Frenchmen should not approch that waie. ”

“ In this 22 yeare, from Midsummer to Christmasse for the more part it continuallie rained, so that there was not one day and night drie togither, by reason whereof great flouds insued, and the ground therewith was sore corrupted, and manie inconueniences insued, as great sickenes, and other, in somuch that in the yeare following in France the people died woonderfullie in diuerse places. In Italie also, and in manie other countries, as well in the lands of the infidels, as in christendome, this grieuous mortalitie reigned to the great destruction of people. ”

“ The cause of godlie liuing and religion, the dignitie and preheminence of christianitie hath béene defended and augmented by you, against the most mightie and puissant capteins of the infidels, enimies to the said christian religion. All ages shall make mention of your worthie praises, no nation there is but shall confesse it selfe bounden at one time or other for benefits receiued at your hands; neither is there any people but such as hope to be hereafter bounden to you for reliefe and benefits, to procéed from you in time to come. ”

“ Before the kings arriuall in Britaine, those that were there vnder the earle of Northampton, as the lord Hugh Spenser, and the lord Richard Talbot, with their retinues, fought with the Frenchmen néere to Morleis, where a few Englishmen, scarse fiue hundred, discomfited a mightie power of Frenchmen, estéemed to be aboue fiftie thousand, of whome some they slue, and some they tooke. Among other was taken the lord Geffrey de Charnie, accompted for one of the best and sagest knights in France, whome the lord Richard Talbot tooke and sent into England. ”

“ For all the French towns vpon the frontiers were stuffed with strong garrisons of souldiers, as Lisle, saint Omers, Arras, Bullongne, Aire and Monttreuill, and those men of war were euer readie vpon occasion to attempt sundrie exploits. After this, when the armie of the Flemings was broken vp, and returned home, or rather diuided into parts, and lodged along on the frontiers, the French king with two thousand men one and other came forward, taking his way through the countrie called la Belme, and so by the countrie of Frankeberge, came streight to the hill of Sangate, betwixt Calis and Wisant. ”

“ In the meane time had the French king not onelie made himselfe strong by land, but also by sea, hauing sent foorth a strong nauie of ships and gallies towards the coasts of England, which arriuing at Southampton the mondaie after Michaelmas day, tooke and spoiled the towne, and the morrow after set fire vpon it in fiue places, so that a great part of it was burnt. Also thirtéene sailes of the French fléet met with fiue English ships, and after a sore fight which continued nine houres, tooke two of those fiue being tall and goodlie ships, the one called the Edward, and the other the Christopher ”

“ In the meane while, now that king Edward was come backe into England, the warres were hotlie pursued against his fréends, that had their lands néere to the borders of France, and namelie against sir Iohn de Heinault lord Beaumont, for the Frenchmen burned all his lands of Chimaie, except the fortresses, and tooke from thence a great preie. ”

“ We giue you to vnderstand, that our souereigne lord the king came to the towne of Poissie the daie before the Assumption of our ladie, where was a certeine bridge ouer the water of Saine broken downe by the enimie, but the king tarried there so long, till that the bridge was made againe. And whiles the bridge was in reparing, there came a great number of men at armes, and other souldiers well armed, to hinder the same. ”

“ Faire sonne, God send you good perseuerence in this your prosperous beginning, you haue noblie acquit your selfe, you are well worthie to haue the gouernance of a realme committed to your hands for your valiant dooings. ”

“ Your elders haue atchiued both by land & sea manie noble enterprises. The whole compasse of Europe, all the east parts of the world, all places and countries, both far & néere, are full of monuments, witnessing the noble victories atteined by the French people. ”

“ The lords of England that were left at home with the quéene for the sure kéeping and defense of the realme, perceiuing the king of Scots thus boldlie to inuade the land, and in hope of spoile to send foorth his light horssemen to harrie the countrie on ech side him, assembled an host of all such people as were able to beare armour, both préests and other. ”

“ Moreouer, about the beginning of this eightéenth yeare of his reigne, king Edward held a solemne feast at his castell of Windsore, where betwixt Candlemasse and Lent, were atchiued manie martiall feasts, and iusts, tornaments, and diuerse other the like warlike pastimes, at the which were present manie strangers of other lands, and in the end thereof, he deuised the order of the garter, and after established it, as it is at this daie. ”

“ The Englishmen were not idle, whilest the cardinall was thus in hand to bring the parties to some good agréement, but cast great ditches, and made hedges, and other fortifications about the place where their archers stood, and on the next morning, being mondaie, the prince and his people prepared themselues to receiue battell, as they had doone before, hauing passed the day before and that night in great defect of necessarie things, for they could not stir abroad to fetch forrage or other prouisions without danger to be surprised of their enimies. ”